Armed Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of armed forces training exercises were cancelled in 2007; and if he will list each such exercise and the reason for cancellation in each case.

Bob Ainsworth: During 2007, a total of 727 training events were scheduled on the Defence Exercise Programme, of which 76 (10.5 per cent.) were cancelled or, in the case of some multinational exercises, UK assets were withdrawn. In detail, 18 exercises were cancelled due to operational commitments, 29 were removed as savings measures and seven were cancelled by other nations. The remaining 22 events were cancelled in response to changing priorities or rescheduling.
	Further details of the military exercise cancelled in 2007 are set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Exercise name  Location  Type  Reason for cancellation 
			 1 Frozen Star 07 Norway Air Operational commitments 
			 2 Snow Falcon 07-1 Europe Air Savings measure 
			 3 Lone Fin 07 Europe Air Savings measure 
			 4 Spontex 06-1 Europe Air Savings measure 
			 5 Virtual Flag 07-3 North America Air Host nation cancelled 
			 6 Trident Fury 07 North America Air Operational commitments 
			 7 Maple Flag 40-1 North America Air Operational commitments 
			 8 Maple Flag 40-3 North America Air Host nation cancelled 
			 9 Dragons Nest 07 Europe Air Savings measure 
			 10 Frairex-107 France Air Changed priorities 
			 11 Fac (A) Trg 07 USA Air Changed priorities 
			 12 FWIT07 Europe Air Savings measure 
			 13 Coop Archer 07 Europe Air operational commitments 
			 14 Wycombe Warrior 06-07 Day 1 UK Air rescheduled 
			 15 Ecadex 07 Australia Air changed priorities 
			 16 Patriot 07 North America Air savings measure 
			 17 Templar Forge 07-3 Europe Air operational commitments 
			 18 Lone Victor 07 Europe Air savings measure 
			 19 TLP 07-4 Europe Air Host nation cancelled 
			 20 Batus Run 07-1 North America Air Changed priorities 
			 21 1 ACC WTI 07 North America Air Operational commitments 
			 22 JRTC 07-1 North America Air Operational commitments 
			 23 NATO Maxeval 07 UK Air Operational commitments 
			 24 Bold Avenger 07 Europe Air Savings measure 
			 25 NATO Opeval 07 UK Air Operational commitments 
			 26 Lone Frame 07 Europe Air Savings measure 
			 27 Dapex 07 Spain Air Savings measure 
			 28 JTFEX US Air Savings measure 
			 29 Volcanex 07 Europe Air Savings measure 
			 30 Iberian Spear Europe Air Rescheduled 
			 31 Lone Kestrel 07 Europe Air Savings measure 
			 32 Harding Flame 1 Cyprus Air Operational commitments 
			 33 HARDINGFLAME2 Cyprus Air Operational commitments 
			 34 Uhlan Barbara 07 Europe Army Changed priorities 
			 35 Grand Prix 3 -06/07 Kenya Army Changed priorities 
			 36 Grand Prix 2- 07/08 Kenya Army Changed priorities 
			 37 Readiness Challenge 06/07 US Army Operational commitments 
			 38 Eagles Resolve 06 UK Army Changed priorities 
			 39 Global Gold 07/08 Kenya Army Operational commitments 
			 40 Cossack Steppe UK Army Operational commitments 
			 41 Britannia Way/Iberian Focus 07/08 Denmark Army Changed priorities 
			 42 Bald Eagle 07/08 USA Army Operational commitments 
			 43 Fingals Cave 07/08 Canada Army Host nation cancelled 
			 44 Bass Rock 07/08 Canada Army Host nation cancelled 
			 45 Flying Rose 2-07/08 USA Army Operational commitments 
			 46 Lion Star 1-07/08 Cyprus Army Savings measure 
			 47 Lion Star 2- 07/08 Cyprus Army Savings measure 
			 48 Lion Star 3- 07/08 Cyprus Army Savings measure 
			 49 Lion Star 4- 07/08 Cyprus Army Savings measure 
			 50 Lion Sun 1-07/08 Cyprus Army Savings measure 
			 51 Lion Sun 2- 07/08 Cyprus Army Savings measure 
			 52 Lion Sun 3- 07/08 Cyprus Army Savings measure 
			 53 Lion Sun 4- 07/08 Cyprus Army Savings measure 
			 54 Lion Sun 5- 07/08 Cyprus Army Savings measure 
			 55 Lion Sun 6- 07/08 Cyprus Army Savings measure 
			 56 Lion Sun 7- 07/08 Cyprus Army Savings measure 
			 57 Lion Sun 8- 07/08 Cyprus Army Savings measure 
			 58 Lion Sun 9- 07/08 Cyprus Army Savings measure 
			 59 Lion Sun 10- 07/08 Cyprus Army Savings measure 
			 60 Lion Sun 11- 07/08 Cyprus Army Savings measure 
			 61 Cobb Ring 07/08 USA Army Operational commitments 
			 62 Able Ally 07/08 Europe Army Changed priorities 
			 63 Global Kukri 07/08 Brunei Army Operational commitments 
			 64 Cyprus Forum 06 Cyprus Joint Changed priorities(1) 
			 65 Joint Venture 07/08 UK Joint Changed priorities 
			 66 Lobnet 1/07 UK Joint Changed priorities 
			 67 Fast Step 1/07 UK Joint Changed priorities 
			 68 Desert Thunder USA Joint Changed priorities 
			 69 Assegai Eyes 07 Denmark Joint Changed priorities 
			 70 Wild Dog 07 Kenya Joint Changed priorities 
			 71 Lemon Sole 1/07 UK Joint Changed priorities 
			 72 Bright Star 07 Egypt Joint Changed priorities 
			 73 CME/CMX 07 NATO and EU MOD cancelled by EU and NATO 
			 74 Steadfast Nerve 07 NATO wide NATO cancelled by natal 
			 75 Jagged Flame 07-1 Europe NATO Savings measure 
			 76 Coop Mako 07 Mediterranean Navy Changed priorities 
			 (1) Objectives met by operational commitment (Op highbrow)

Poverty

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate the Government has made of levels of poverty among disadvantaged groups.

Stephen Timms: The number of children in poverty has fallen by 600,000 in the past decade, the number of pensioners by over a million and the number of disabled people by 900,000. We are determined to make further progress.

Population

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the working-age population was in each region in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 18 February 2008:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your questions regarding what the working age population was in each region in each year since 1997. (186829)
	The attached table shows the working age population in each government office region for the years 1997-2006.
	The latest population estimates available are for mid-2006.
	
		
			  Mid-year estimates of working age population by Government office region 
			  Thousand 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 England 29,754 29,868 30,044 30,243 30,487 30,686 30,867 31,083 31,384 31,627 
			 North East 1,559 1,556 1,552 1,549 1,552 1,559 1,564 1,568 1,578 1,586 
			 North West 4,104 4,108 4,100 4,110 4,122 4,140 4,167 4,193 4,218 4,236 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 3,003 3,004 3,006 3,012 3,035 3,063 3,090 3,126 3,167 3,200 
			 East Midlands 2,522 2,530 2,544 2,555 2,574 2,599 2,624 2,653 2,682 2,711 
			 West Midlands 3,189 3,193 3,195 3,195 3,210 3,224 3,238 3,250 3,268 3,282 
			 East 3,213 3,234 3,250 3,274 3,294 3,316 3,342 3,365 3,401 3,430 
			 London 4,498 4,540 4,633 4,726 4,829 4,875 4,884 4,919 4,982 5,033 
			 South East 4,798 4,821 4,865 4,891 4,922 4,940 4,966 4,990 5,032 5,066 
			 South West 2,869 2,882 2,901 2,929 2,950 2,971 2,993 3,020 3,055 3,083 
			
			 Wales 1,719 1,723 1,727 1,735 1,739 1,749 1,759 1,773 1,780 1,790 
			  Note: Working age is defined as ages 16 to 64 for males, and 16 to 59 for females. Source: Office for National Statistics.